Exit Drills In The Home

Exit Drills In The Home (EDITH)
In 1995, 3640 Americans died in home fires. That is roughly 10 people a day. Tens of thousands more were injured. People can survive even major fires in their homes if they are alerted to the fire and get out quickly and stay out.How to Survive

Install smoke detectors and keep them in working order.

Make an escape plan and practice it.

Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system.

Plan your escape.

Once a fire has started, there is no time to plan how to get out. Sit down with your family today, and make a step-by-step plan for escaping a fire. Draw a floor plan of your home, marking 2 ways out of every room - especially sleeping areas. Discuss the escape routes with every member of your household.

Agree on a meeting place where every member of the household will gather outside your home after escaping a fire to wait for the fire department. This allows you to count heads and inform the fire department if anyone is missing or trapped inside the burning building.

Practice your Escape Plan
At least 2 times a year have a fire drill in your home. Appoint someone to be monitor, and have everyone participate. A fire drill is not a race, get out quickly but carefully.

Be Prepared
Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices, and everyone in the household should know how to use them.

If you Live In An Apartment Building
Use stairways to escape. Never use an elevator during a fire, it may stop between floors or take you to a floor where the fire is burning. Some high-rise buildings may have evacuation plans that require you to stay where you are and wait for the fire department.
Multistory Homes
If you live in a multistory home and you must escape from an upper story window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground, such as a fire-resistant fire escape ladder. Make special arrangements for children, older adults, and people with disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a phone in their sleeping area and, if possible, should sleep on the ground floor.

Test doors before opening them. While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and with the back of your hand touch the door, the knob, and the crack between the door and its frame. If you feel any warmth at all, use another escape route. If the door feels cool, open it with caution. Put your shoulder against the door and open it slowly. Be prepared to slam it shut if there is smoke or flames on the other side.

If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors to keep out smoke. Wait at a window and signal for help with a flashlight or by waving a light-colored cloth. If there is a phone in the room, call the fire department and report exactly where you are.

Get Out Fast
In case of a fire, don't stop for anything. Do not try to rescue possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place, and then call the fire department from a neighbor's phone, or a portable phone. Every member of your household should know how to call the fire department.